KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



331 



cat running about Noel Street, Islington. After 

 a little trouble I caught ray young lady ; she 

 proved to be a cross between the cat and the 

 rabbit. The hind quarters were those of the rab- 

 bit, and she had a tail like the rabbit. The fore 

 parts, including the head, resembled the cat in 

 every respect. Being anxious to know what 

 food she would eat, I gave her such as rabbits are 

 fond of; but she would not touch it. Yet did she 

 eat raw beef freely. I mentioned the circumstance 

 to a friend of mine; and he referred me to a rab- 

 bit-breeder then residing in the Liverpool Road, 

 Islington. On being shown into the parlor, I 

 saw, lying upon the hearth-rug, a fine tabby cat, 

 and (what then appeared to me) three half-grown 

 cats; but these, on further examination, turned 

 out to be three half-bred cats, or rabbits. The 

 head and fore parts were exactly like those of a 

 cat, and the hind quarters like those of a rabbit. 

 They also had tails like rabbits. In course of 

 conversation, I learnt that the cat (a remarkably 

 handsome one) was in the habit of visiting the 

 rabbit-house, where she was an immense favorite. 

 Her master, however, had not anticipated that 

 her visits would have given rise to such " curi- 

 ous" results; nor did he notice the kittens until 

 many days after their birth. — J. A. B. 



BIRDS OF SONG. 



Give me but 

 Something whereunto I may bind my heart, 

 Something to love, to rest upon, — to clasp 

 Affection's tendrils round. Mks.Hemans. 



Grub in a Coffin. — Mr. Editor, I had occasion 

 to visit a shed at the bottom of my garden the 

 other evening; when, by the light of a candle, I 

 observed an apparent coffin (on a small scale) 

 projecting from the front of an old square pantile- 

 lath. I tried to remove it, but could not ; so tena- 

 ciously did it adhere. However, by means of a 

 chisel and main force we " prised" it up. Guess 

 our surprise ! Ensconced in this supposed coffin, 

 (about two inches long and an inch wide) lay a 

 long black grub. His head lay at one end, and 

 his body tapered gradually downwards to the 

 bottom. In fact, he had built a coffin ex- 

 actly large enough to hold him comfortably. No 

 mouth had he, that I could see; no arms or legs 

 to work with ; yet had he indented a place for 

 himself in the under part of his coffin, which ad- 

 hered to the lath. It was scooped out, and smooth. 

 The animal was alive, and moved when the air 

 was admitted. A most ugly, black-looking fel- 

 low he is; and a regular "puzzler" to all who 

 have seen him. How did he get there? How 

 did he make his bed? What did he live upon? 

 How did he make his coffin? And when did he 

 first begin? — G, Jar vis, " Seven Stars," Starch 

 Green, Middlesex, May 12. 



[Mr. Jarvis ! you have asked us a century of 

 questions about this " ugly customer" of yours. 

 We will come and see it, — albeit your description 

 is, we imagine, vividly accurate.] 



The Pouter Pigeon. — It is a rule among " Fan- 

 ciers," and breeders of this bird, to keep com- 

 mon birds for the purpose of rearing their young, 

 the hen pouters being inattentive to " feeding," 

 and otherwise unqualified for bringing up their 

 own offspring. One of your correspondents will 

 readily understand why I send you this commu- 

 nication. — W. H. 



[You have said enough in your note to lessen 

 our penchant for the " Pouter." We have printed 

 all that need meet the eye of the public. J 



No. XL— CAGE BIRDS.— THE CANARY. 



We have perhaps been rather ?* short," 

 and rather abrupt, in our earlier directions 

 for purchasing birds, either males or hens, 

 for the purposes of breeding. We have a 

 great objection, in the general way, to re- 

 commend any particular dealer by name ; 

 but we may safely caution people as to 

 where they should not deal ; and this it is 

 our duty to do.* 



Studiously avoid, all ye who go to buy 

 good song-birds, such " Babel " shops and 

 wire-workers, such Pantheons and Bazaars, 

 as sell parrots, macaws, monkeys, dogs, &c. 

 The shrieks, hideous outcries, and " unknown 

 tongues " in which these creatures momen- 

 tarily hold converse, would effectually de- 

 stroy the value of any u song " bird kept 

 for sale by such people. 



We have often remonstrated with these (so- 

 called) bird-dealers, for keeping so heteroge- 

 neous a collection of brute beasts ; but their 

 answer has been, always, to the effect that — 

 " ladies ' cannot live ' without dogs, parrots, 

 and such like ; they will give any price for 

 them." This, alas ! is too true. We all 

 know it but too well ! 



It may be said, that nearly all the bird- 

 dealers in London have these animals on 

 sale. We admit it, and greatly is it to be 

 regretted. All young birds, aye, and even 

 some older ones, will copy these strange 

 noises ; and the worst of it is, they invaria- 

 bly become stereotyped in their memory. 

 Therefore, let us again raise a warning voice, 

 and caution our gentle readers against all 

 dealers in the above monstrosities ; urgently 

 recommending the more extensive practice 

 of private breeding. 



We continue to be asked daily, to under- 

 take the purchase and selection of choice 

 birds for our subscribers ; but we have at 

 last learned to say " No ! " to this. Ever 

 willing to oblige, — indeed, our whole delight 

 consists in doing little acts of kindness in 



* Our readers will remember, that at page 

 291 we cautioned them emphatically against buy- 

 ing birds of any kind from people in the street. 

 The necessity for this has just received an addi- 

 tional confirmation. In Bell's Messenger, we 

 read as follows: — "A lady in Liverpool has just 

 purchased for five shillings, from a man in the 

 street, i a sweet little cock canary, with tail 

 feathers radiated like a fan; and of such a deep 

 orange color! ' On examination, however, it 

 proved that the ' cock canary ' was a hen spar- 

 row, dyed with saffron ; and that its tail feathers 

 were starched and curled ! ! " 



